The Met Police currently has 2,000 recruits on its waiting list who have been told they will not get an officer position until 2011, while West Midlands Police has 240, and both Cleveland and Gloucestershire have about 100.

The demand in North Yorkshire was so great that senior officers, including chief constable Grahame Maxwell, helped to take some calls.

Briggs said: “We have had an incredible response to the recruitment campaign and it was nice to be able get involved and lend a hand.”

A force spokesman said: “Regrettably, unforeseen technical difficulties occurred as a result of this unprecedented overwhelming demand.”